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Jun 26, 2014 · 24m · mad

Chris Lynch, Atlas Venture // Data Driven #28 // June 2014 (Hosted by FirstMark Capital)

Chris Lynch · 18m spoken Matt Turck · 2m spoken Tony Baer · 49s spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

At a Data Driven NYC event hosted by Matt Turck, venture capitalist and veteran tech executive Chris Lynch shares key strategic lessons on scaling enterprise startups, simplifying complex tech positioning, navigating venture capital dynamics, and capturing value at the application layer.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Matt holds 12% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Matt as informed peer 1.3 Guest teaching 6.0 Guest disagreement 4.0 Matt pushing back 0.3
05100:0010:0020:001:29–6:15 · Matt as informed peer 0/10 Lessons from Vertica: Database Messaging and Disintermediation After the host's initial setup question, Chris Lynch monologues without host interjection. Lynch explains how Vertica's underlying analytics engine was disintermediated by customer-facing apps like Zynga and Tableau, framing key lessons on moving up the stack.6:15–11:24 · Matt as informed peer 2/10 Big Data Thesis: Democratization, Security, and Personal Data Rights Matt Turck asks a structured question about separating science projects from scalable products. Lynch outlines his investment thesis focusing on democratization, security of aggregated data, and personal data monetization rights.11:24–15:24 · Matt as informed peer 2/10 Investment Strategy: Overhyped Technologies and Founder Selection The host guides the discussion toward overhyped technology and founding teams. Lynch combatively advises against building another NoSQL database or platform, arguing that true value lies in monetizing existing platforms and hiring resilient founders.15:24–20:58 · Matt as informed peer 1/10 Q&A: Critiquing Venture Valuations and Big Data Hype During audience Q&A, Lynch passionately attacks current venture capital dynamics, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers who drive up Hadoop valuations artificially without understanding company building.1:29–6:15 · Guest teaching 6/10 Lessons from Vertica: Database Messaging and Disintermediation After the host's initial setup question, Chris Lynch monologues without host interjection. Lynch explains how Vertica's underlying analytics engine was disintermediated by customer-facing apps like Zynga and Tableau, framing key lessons on moving up the stack.6:15–11:24 · Guest teaching 5/10 Big Data Thesis: Democratization, Security, and Personal Data Rights Matt Turck asks a structured question about separating science projects from scalable products. Lynch outlines his investment thesis focusing on democratization, security of aggregated data, and personal data monetization rights.11:24–15:24 · Guest teaching 6/10 Investment Strategy: Overhyped Technologies and Founder Selection The host guides the discussion toward overhyped technology and founding teams. Lynch combatively advises against building another NoSQL database or platform, arguing that true value lies in monetizing existing platforms and hiring resilient founders.15:24–20:58 · Guest teaching 7/10 Q&A: Critiquing Venture Valuations and Big Data Hype During audience Q&A, Lynch passionately attacks current venture capital dynamics, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers who drive up Hadoop valuations artificially without understanding company building.1:29–6:15 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Lessons from Vertica: Database Messaging and Disintermediation After the host's initial setup question, Chris Lynch monologues without host interjection. Lynch explains how Vertica's underlying analytics engine was disintermediated by customer-facing apps like Zynga and Tableau, framing key lessons on moving up the stack.6:15–11:24 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Big Data Thesis: Democratization, Security, and Personal Data Rights Matt Turck asks a structured question about separating science projects from scalable products. Lynch outlines his investment thesis focusing on democratization, security of aggregated data, and personal data monetization rights.11:24–15:24 · Guest disagreement 4/10 Investment Strategy: Overhyped Technologies and Founder Selection The host guides the discussion toward overhyped technology and founding teams. Lynch combatively advises against building another NoSQL database or platform, arguing that true value lies in monetizing existing platforms and hiring resilient founders.15:24–20:58 · Guest disagreement 8/10 Q&A: Critiquing Venture Valuations and Big Data Hype During audience Q&A, Lynch passionately attacks current venture capital dynamics, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers who drive up Hadoop valuations artificially without understanding company building.1:29–6:15 · Matt pushing back 0/10 Lessons from Vertica: Database Messaging and Disintermediation After the host's initial setup question, Chris Lynch monologues without host interjection. Lynch explains how Vertica's underlying analytics engine was disintermediated by customer-facing apps like Zynga and Tableau, framing key lessons on moving up the stack.6:15–11:24 · Matt pushing back 0/10 Big Data Thesis: Democratization, Security, and Personal Data Rights Matt Turck asks a structured question about separating science projects from scalable products. Lynch outlines his investment thesis focusing on democratization, security of aggregated data, and personal data monetization rights.11:24–15:24 · Matt pushing back 1/10 Investment Strategy: Overhyped Technologies and Founder Selection The host guides the discussion toward overhyped technology and founding teams. Lynch combatively advises against building another NoSQL database or platform, arguing that true value lies in monetizing existing platforms and hiring resilient founders.15:24–20:58 · Matt pushing back 0/10 Q&A: Critiquing Venture Valuations and Big Data Hype During audience Q&A, Lynch passionately attacks current venture capital dynamics, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers who drive up Hadoop valuations artificially without understanding company building.

speaking balance: gold is Matt, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Matt 48.7% · guest 51.3%0:00 · Matt 48.7% · guest 51.3%3:00 · Matt 0% · guest 100%3:00 · Matt 0% · guest 100%6:00 · Matt 18.9% · guest 81.1%6:00 · Matt 18.9% · guest 81.1%9:00 · Matt 7.6% · guest 92.4%9:00 · Matt 7.6% · guest 92.4%12:00 · Matt 11.2% · guest 88.8%12:00 · Matt 11.2% · guest 88.8%15:00 · Matt 2.3% · guest 97.7%15:00 · Matt 2.3% · guest 97.7%18:00 · Matt 4.7% · guest 95.3%18:00 · Matt 4.7% · guest 95.3%21:00 · Matt 0% · guest 100%21:00 · Matt 0% · guest 100%24:00 · Matt 19.7% · guest 80.3%24:00 · Matt 19.7% · guest 80.3%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 18:00 Rant against lazy VC lottery buyers

Chris Lynch forcefully attacks industry contemporaries, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers whose excess capital drives unsustainable valuations.

 Hardest push from Matt ▶ 6:15 Reframing Vertica experience into VC dilemma

Matt Turck reframes Lynch's operating lesson on disintermediation into a sharp question about how early-stage VCs separate academic science projects from real products.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 4:30 The Zynga $14 billion outcome lesson

Lynch educates the audience on why Vertica's $400 million exit was shadowed by Zynga's $14 billion valuation, demonstrating why technology companies must move up the stack.

 Matt holds his own ▶ 6:15 Synthesizing product disintermediation with VC evaluation

Turck demonstrates domain expertise by synthesizing Lynch's operational narrative directly into a practical venture investment dilemma.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicMatt as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementMatt pushing backWhy
Lessons from Vertica: Database Messaging and Disintermediation 0620 After the host's initial setup question, Chris Lynch monologues without host interjection. Lynch explains how Vertica's underlying analytics engine was disintermediated by customer-facing apps like Zynga and Tableau, framing key lessons on moving up the stack.
Big Data Thesis: Democratization, Security, and Personal Data Rights 2520 Matt Turck asks a structured question about separating science projects from scalable products. Lynch outlines his investment thesis focusing on democratization, security of aggregated data, and personal data monetization rights.
Investment Strategy: Overhyped Technologies and Founder Selection 2641 The host guides the discussion toward overhyped technology and founding teams. Lynch combatively advises against building another NoSQL database or platform, arguing that true value lies in monetizing existing platforms and hiring resilient founders.
Q&A: Critiquing Venture Valuations and Big Data Hype 1780 During audience Q&A, Lynch passionately attacks current venture capital dynamics, calling VCs lazy lottery ticket buyers who drive up Hadoop valuations artificially without understanding company building.

Statements from this episode (8)

Assertion Partly supported
Vertica was acquired for approximately $400 million
“We sold the company for about four hundred million dollars.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 4:18
Opinion
Zynga is an analytics company masquerading as a gaming company
“Zynga is really an analytics company masquerading as a gaming company.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 4:40
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Consumers will eventually own and monetize their digital footprints
“As individuals, I think we're going to evolve to have enough sophistication that we own our digital footprint, and that we opt in to the economics Of the value of that.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 8:49
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Telecoms will eventually offer free service in exchange for consumer data
“I think the day will come shortly where, you know, I've got the Verizon family plan, and I pay, you know, a lot of money for my cell phone. And they use my information, my family's information. They monetize that. I think the day will come that if Verizon and …”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 9:47
Disclosure
Atlas Venture will not fund startups rebuilding existing software platforms
“So for my money, I don't want you to spend my money rebuilding, even if it's a little bit better, something that's been built. I want you to spend my money taking something that's been built that's good and disintermediating those guys.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 12:03
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Big data infrastructure startups launching in 2014 will lack successful exits
“If you're coming out as a Vertica today, you're not going to have a happy ending.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 12:25
Opinion
Mega-fund VCs are just lottery ticket buyers lacking company-building skills
“And I think a lot of my contemporaries are lottery ticket buyers. And, you know, you have a three billion dollar fund, and you're just buying lottery tickets, and because you don't know how to build companies, your only value is paying more.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 18:20
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Tech startup valuations in mid-2014 are unwarranted and unsustainable
“There's gonna be a lot of you know, broken hearts and tears are gonna fall, because I don't think that, that those valuations are warranted, are sustainable and that's too bad.”
Chris Lynch Jun 26, 2014 ▶ 19:03
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